The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree is one of the most common symbols of the Christmas season. With its magnificent lights and decorations, it is beautiful to behold and reflects the warmth of the true meaning of Christmas.
In the Middle Ages, the Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes to display hope for the forthcoming spring.
According to a legend, the Christmas tree is linked with the birth of Christ. Legend tells that on the night of Christ's birth, all kinds of living creatures came to Bethlehem with gifts. The olive tree came with its fruit and the palm tree came with its date, but the fir tree had nothing to give the newborn king. So an angel, having compassion for the fir, commanded a cluster of stars to shinie on the fir's humble boughs. Upon seeing the lighted tree, Baby Jesus smiled and blessed it. As a result, the fir tree is wrapped with twinkling lights and dorned with decorations, to delight children, old and young alike, during Christmas.
Another belief is that the triangular shape of the fir tree symbolizes the Trinity and points upwards toward GOD. Even common tree decorations draw their roots in traditional values. The crystal balls symbolize the fruit of redemption, and the lights (or candles) are ancient symbols that stand for spring's triumph over the darkness of winter. Most importantly, the lights symbolize the light that Jesus Christ cast upon the lives of the people.
Excerpt from the book "Christmas Traditions From Around The Globe"
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